Google expands in Malaysia, new office will be 5 times larger than current office

The "cool" Google Malaysia headquarters at Quill 7 is set to relocate again.

Despite an influx of office space in Kuala Lumpur over the next three years, several new and operating multinational companies in Malaysia have shown strong commitment to expand their offices across the city.

Tech giant Google Malaysia has signed up 54,000 sq ft in a new office tower called 1 Sentrum. The Google Inc.'s local subsidiary did not confirm whether the new office will be its new Malaysian headquarters.

Standing prominently on Jalan Tun Sambanthan, the 32-storey newly-completed office tower is most recognizable due to its external facade featuring chequered form similar to songket weaving. It is located annexed to the Nu Sentral shopping centre in KL Sentral.

1 Sentrum is a 'Grade A' office tower that is designed in accordance with US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the Malaysia Green Building Index (GBI) requirements.

1 Sentrum was jointly developed by Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) and the building owner Pelaburan Hartanah Berhad (PHB), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yayasan Amanah Hartanah Bumiputera. The building was completed in 2013.

Other multinational office tenants at 1 Sentrum are Jones Lang LaSalle, Agoda International and Novo Nordisk. Rental rates at 1 Sentrum is believed to be hovering around RM7.00 to RM8.00 per square feet.

It was not too long ago in August 2013 that Google Malaysia relocated from Menara Citibank to KL Sentral. The company had occupied 10,000 square feet of office space on Level 20 of the Quill 7 building in KL Sentral.

At Quill 7, Google Malaysia's office was often called "cool". It was one of the coolest office in town with a unique themed playground, cafeteria and amphitheatre concept.

Like Google’s other global offices, the entire space is open and connected, meant to foster collaboration among employees.

As quirky as one would imagine. The Kuala Lumpur office has plants sprout from the walls and ceiling, while bright decor made the office like a technicolor jungle. There is a boardroom that looks like a cave, complete with stalactites.

Its Gerai Gugel café is beautifully decorated like a tropical forest with playground swing chairs and colourfully upholstered kopitiam chairs. Next to the café is a mini amphitheatre with cushions for presentations, and a screen which shows what is trending real-time in terms of worldwide searches.

Staff members work from workstations whose 120-degree configuration ensures that each individual either faces or sits beside their fellow team members.

We convincingly bet that Google's cool open office and work culture will continue with the upcoming, new office at 1 Sentrum.

Google first opened a sales and marketing office in Malaysia in January 2011, its second country in the region after opening in Singapore in 2007.

Opening in Malaysia was seen as a strategic step for Google to increase its ad sales and market share in Southeast Asia. Modestly, Google operated like a local technology startup at that time, operating from a one-room windowless office at KLCC.